RALEIGH -- The crowd went wild and R&B Singer Patti Labelle went with it, keeping it real and keeping women's spirits up by empowering them with knowledge about life.

"I had low self esteem. Very low self-esteem I was born with this big nose that I had cut off," Labelle said playfully.

As for the topic of love -- she's divorced.

"Marriage, divorce it’s all part of life. You get together then you break up. Then what? You live. So, I'm learning to be happy," she added.

She candidly talked about her will to live after discovering she had diabetes. She had close family members die from the disease. Labelle said she had to question what was most important to her, especially when it came to her famous soul food.

"Do I live or do I die? So, I chose....I chose to live!" she exclaimed to the crowd.

And that's the message of Radio One's Women's Empowerment -- to live.

Some 14,000 ticket holders crowded the 14th Annual Women's Empowerment at the RBC Center.

"It's good for us as young women to come to a place like this where we can teach other young women to better themselves as well," said teen Denisha Hayes.

"I have been here since the inception. I've only missed two years. One year I was unable to make it because I was pregnant," added Beverly Sneed.

Attendees were treated to a Literary Lounge, performances by local and national acts and celebrity fit club panelist Dr. Ian Smith.

Smith says women can also empower themselves by powering up their health.

"Do the things that make you healthy. When you're healthy, you can make everyone be healthy," concluded Smith.